By Christopher John Farley Walt Disney/Pixar A scene from “Brave” with a glowing will-o’-the-wisp. One of the most emotional moments in the coming Pixar computer-animated film “Brave” happens during the end credits. The film is dedicated to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who is lauded as a partner, mentor and friend in an early cut of the movie. Jobs served as co-founder and CEO of the Pixar animation studio. He died of pancreatic cancer on October 5, 2011 at the age of 56. In the movie, which is about a young girl in Scotland who seeks her place in the world, ghostly creatures called will-o’-the-wisps are said to lead people to their destiny. During the credits of an unfinished version of the film, a will-o’-the-wisp flits ... Continue reading →
Humans are quickly becoming an indoor species. In part, this is a byproduct of urbanization, as most people now live in big cities. Our increasing reliance on technology is also driving the trend, with a recent study concluding that American children between the ages of 8 and 18 currently spend more than four hours a day interacting with technology. As a result, there's no longer time for nature: From 2006 to 2010, the percentage of young children regularly engaging in outdoor recreation fell by roughly 15 percentage points. This shift is occurring even as scientists outline the mental benefits of spending time in natural settings. According to the latest research, untamed landscapes have a restorative effect, calming our frazzled nerves and refreshing the tired cortex. ... Continue reading →
Shutterstock Everybody has the capacity to be dishonest, and almost everybody cheats—just by a little. Not too long ago, one of my students, named Peter, told me a story that captures rather nicely our society's misguided efforts to deal with dishonesty. One day, Peter locked himself out of his house. After a spell, the locksmith pulled up in his truck and picked the lock in about a minute. "I was amazed at how quickly and easily this guy was able to open the door," Peter said. The locksmith told him that locks are on doors only to keep honest people honest. One percent of people will always be honest and never steal. Another 1% will always be dishonest and always try to pick your lock ... Continue reading →
Facebook’s quick fall: A week ago, Facebook had just launched the largest, most buzzworthy initial public offering in years. And now, that IPO has already brought them a potentially massive lawsuit and a federal investigation. Aside from the whole “pocketing millions upon millions of dollars” thing, it’s been a brutal week for Facebook execs. Here’s what happened. Facebook dominated the conversation online last week (GigaOM has a good roundup from last Friday’s IPO), and a lot of that wasn’t positive. As data from Pew’s Project for Excellence in Journalism showed, much of the chatter online, particularly on Twitter, was about Facebook as an overhyped (and overvalued) stock. Those online observers may have been more right than they knew: As reports from Reuters, Business Insider (two ... Continue reading →
Safeway Is ready to sell booze in WA Continue reading →
Have a safe, enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. Continue reading →
The new NBC series, set in Chicago in the 1960s, which premieres Sept. 19 at 10 p.m., is about much more than just getting down and dirty, the cast and producers said at the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour on Monday. So what else is there? Continue reading →
